davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
1t Was O Real One.

have attended the Mardi Gras festivi-
ties for the last thirty years, said New
Orleans man to St. Louis Globe reporter,
but I never remember to have been SC
amused as a dozen years ago, when
went to the ball in company with Gen
eral of the Quartermaster's Department.
The General was man of fine figure and
imposing bearing, and would have been
very handsome except for the fact that
his countenance was decorated by nose
enormous in size, dubious in shape, and
a deep purple in hue. While at the ball
the gallant officer fell in with masked
lady of most graceful figure and car
riage, with whom he danced number OF
times, and finally requested, as a most
particular favor, to unmask. After O
great deal of hesitation, the lady consent
ed, exhibiting to the Generals delighted
gaze features as pleasing as her figure.
After a few compliments had been paid
her, the'lady said: "But, sir, you should
also unmask." Madam" said the Gen
eral, II am unmasked" His companion
gazed at him with incredulity, but final
ly it began to dawn upon her that the rubi-
cund and trunk-like proboscis attached
to her escorts face was work of nature
and not of art. With shudder and a
little shlick, she glided away, leaving the
General nearly mad with rage and indig-
nation. He at once made his way to his
hotel, and never again was seen in New
Orleans.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Marriages in Turkey.

The following is from Emile billiards
Article in the Cosmopolitan on "Life Be-
meath the Crescent" Marriage receives
scarcely more attention among the Turks
than birth and death, and there is but
little embarrassment from the administra-
tive formalities that prccede and accom-
pany this solemn act in the West. There
are no bans, no announcements, no regis
trations. A man obtains wife just as he
would buy a bouquet; but neither the
buyer nor the seller, nor the intermediary,
asks for receipt. AS it is forbidden Il
man to enter the harem of another (even
if he were a near relative of the latter to
see young woman and talk with her,
there arc no marriages for love and no
engagements. One father meets another
father, and says to him: "You have a
son and 1 have daughter. If the mother
of your son knows my daughter, let us
strike bargain; if she does not know
her, let them see each other, and then let
us close up the business" The conditions
are discussed, the dowry haggled over,
then all the arrangements between the
parents are made and the young people
introduced to each other.
Let us add in passing, that among us
the marriages that are contracted i'll the
great capitals of Europe, especially in
Paris, do not depart far from this pro-
gramme. In France, however, man is
still allowed to behold the object for the
acquisition of which negotiations arc in
progress. In Turkey this is forbidden;
there, marriage is lottery indeed.
Turkish girls are promised usually when
they are very young, even ut a tcnderagc,
when they are only three or four years
old. If the young bride should happen
to die before her marriage, or be required
for the Sultan's lprcm-for it may be pre-
missed that this is Il case that breaks ali
engagements, and is esteemed rs 4 great
honor by parcnts-the intended husband
is not expected to weep over what he
loses, for he has never seen it. When
the young girl reaches her twelfth or
thirteenth year, Oh somewhat later, hcl
fourteenth year, she receives the nuptia
blessing, and the husband cannot see
the face of his wife until after the cere-
mony.
No woman, not even the wife, takes
part in the soicmnity of marriage, whic
is effected by proxy, delegated to an uncle
or to an elder brother, often with q full
beard, who plays the role of the bride.
The parents OF the couple sign the coll
tract before the imam of their quarter, i'll
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
A Novel Pipe.

"Talking about ingenuity" said a
drummer to the Chicago Heraldrcportcr,
II want to tell you what I saw last
winter out West" And he rcelcd off the
following:
II was on train that was showed in
for three days. The company sent US
food, but they didn't send us any cigars,
and the train boys stock was exhausted
the first day. In the express Car we
found and confscatcd box of smoking
tobacco, but there wasn't pipe on the
train. Among the passengers was a
Connecticut Yankee who was just dying
for a smoke. He got out in the snow
and looked around for weed or some
thing of that sort, which he might use in
making pipe, but couldn't find a thing.
i am going to have pipe, anyhow, he
said. So he took lead pencil, opened
the wood, took out the lead, and placing
the two strips together again, wound
them tightly with the tin-foil which
came out of the package of smoking to-
bacco, making them air-tight. Then he
took an apple, followed bowl out of it,
stuck his lead-pencil stem into it and had
one of the incest pipes you ever saw. If
you don't believe it make one for your
self some time and try it."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20

the presence of few friends, who act az
witnesses. The nuptials are then cele'
brated by the families with calmness
and gravity that would be as suitable for o
funeral as for wedding.
The sexes never mingle at these festi.
vals. The men take their pleasure in 81.
lcnce in their sclamik the women, little
more noisily-it is but natural-in the
harcmlik.
If the wife is too young or has deli.
cate health, she is not entrusted to hel
husband. She is quickly shut up at her
mothers, or at her nother-in-law's, some
times for more than year, until 1t shall
please the latter to rc-unite her with her
husband. 1t even happens that the hus-
band has had time to take second wife
before receiving his first.
1t is not, however, always happiness
that the young wife finds in her new
situation, where she is often obliged to
share with companions, and even with
black and white slaves, the heart and the
attentions of her husband. How often
have the poor creatures exchanged their
maiden scclusion, q captivity that a
mother always knows how to make pleas
ant, for another seclusion more narrow,
more severe, often aggravated by the neg
lect of her husband, or by the brutality
and the bad treatment of detcstablo
guardian!
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Are Wooden Bridges Safest.

A wooden bridge has been built in
place of the iron death-trap which re-
Gently went down in the suburbs of Bos,
ton. Who is there to prove that after all
wooden railroad bridges are not better
than those built of iron9 No one ever
heard of wooden structure going down
because of its sudden contraction by cold
or expansion by heat. Wood goes to de-
cay, but it does not crystalline or rust out.
A blow delivered by broken shaft or To-
comotive driver which will crack and
possibly destroy bridge constructed of
iron will not in any way cripple good
bridge made up of wood and bolts. Iron
bridges have not been used long enough
to be anything more than an experiment.
The experiment has not yet proved en-
tirely satisfactory Cincinnati 1Snass-
Stdr.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Scene from City Life.

ScESE.-Ultra-fash restaurant. Nu-
nlerous walters standing around in pos
lures indicative of intense ennui. Enter
q youth and maiden. They are seated by
a waiter with the general appearance OF
anexiled Count.
He Gin a sprightly manr or $50 you
really won't have anything but oysters2'
She QanguidIy)-"No, Cholley, I'm not
hungry"
He-"At least you will have bottle OF
Bass, as usualf'
She-"Chollcy, I suppose you think
me perfectly horrid-"
He with a melting glance)-"That
would be impossible" waiter sighs
heavily.)
She-"But Id really like some cham
pagne-Pommery Sec" (Waiter gazes at
her with mild approval.)
He (striving to conceal his diSmay a.
lie remembers that he has only $1.15 in
his pockeD-"Why, certainly. Waiter"
Waitcr-"Yessir."
He-"Blue points on the half-shell,
and q bottle of Pommery."
Waitcr--"Pint or quart, sir?'
lie Gin despcration) - Quart, OF
course"
Waiter-"Write your order, if you
please, sir" Inspiration seizes the
wrctched youth. lie writes the order,
and adds these lines: "Have left my
pocket-book at home. Will call and set
tie tomorrow morning. MONTGOMERY
FEEsu." Exit waiter with order)
She-"You look pale, Chollcy. Aren't
YOU welll"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Chickens ArtificiaIIy Raised,

':For my part don't see why DR.. Ed.
son seiZes all the bob veal and leaves all
the spring Chickens" said a veal dealer
who had just lost q mornings profit
through the visit of lynx-eyed inspec-
tor.
"Why do you class the two togethera"
inquired the reporter.
"Because one is just as immature as the
other, and if young veal is unfit for food
so are young chickens. Take for instance
the eggs Matched by incubators. Any
poultry expert will tell you that the flesh
of the artifcially hatched chicken is as
insipid as SNOWFALL, and yet people are
willing to pay So pair for them. The
incubator folly is, however, less preva-
lent than it was few years ago, and
fewer people are ruined. 1t is fair to say
that each year, for the past ten years,
$1,000, 900 have been lost by persons who
believed that there was fortune in hatch
ing eggs with the aid of kerosene oil.
"Ten years ago gentleman of this
city bought farm up the Hudson and
spared no expense in attempting to make
it a success of artificial chicken raising:
He sunk $4,000 in the enterprise and
gave it upas failure. Last year promi-
nent type foundry man of this city became
infatuated with the incubator craze, sold
his snug home in Harlem, bought place
out near Paterson, N. j., and with his
family started to hatch chickens with the
aid of an incubator The incubator cost
5000. He spent $25 in kerosene oil, $22
in eggs, and Matched out two dozen chick
ems. Seventeen of them died with the
pip. His family became disgusted and
left him on the farm with the incubator,
the pig and cow. He couldn't milk the
cow nor cook meal, and when he wrote
to the incubator people asking them to
take the machine back they offered him
SIS for it. An old hen, aided by nature
and warm weather, will knock out the in
cubator in short order, and besides the
chickens will live and have some flavor te
them. "-New York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Emperor Williams Style Of Life.

While at home in the palace at Berlin
Emperor William breakfasts at 7:30
o'clock every morning, invariably using
coffee, with large allowance of milk,
and bread without butter. Weather per-
mitting, he takes walking exercise daily
before luncheon, which is served at l
o'clock. Boiled craps is favorite dish
at this meal, and is partaken of with
great relish. Between luncheon and din
ner, affairs of state are attended to for
three hours and sometimes longer. Then
he rests until it is time to dress for din
ner. The fixed hour for this is 4. Every
morning the chief cook submits the bill
of fare for approval. 1t usually consists
of five courses. The Emperor has de-
cided preference for plain food. He is
liberal in the use of fruit, and drinks
mineral water procured from natural
spring.
A cup of tea, without bread or cake, is
the only refreshment he takes between
dinner and bedtime. He makes point
of resting half an hour after breakfast
and luncheon, and an hour after dinner.
When there are guests invited to dinner
they meet him in an ante-chamber. A
quarter of an hour is spent in chatting.
Hc then leads the way to the dining
room. The invitations arc always sent
out at an early hour, and the seats dis
cussed with the Court Marshal. When
there are no guests the Emperor dimes
with the Empress, and the cook takes
orders from her.
In summer, while at Gastein or some
other watering place. the Emperor goes
to the bathroom at 1880 o'clock in the
morning. He breakfasts at and walks
at 10, accompanied by personal adju-
tant and special attendant. Luncheon is
served at II. Between IL and he con-
fcrs with the officers of the civil and
military cabinets who are in waiting.
Dinner is served at 4. 1t consists of soup,
fish, boiled beef, two entrees dessert and
fruit. All the members of the imperial
suite attend. At o'clock he takes a
carriage ride, makes social call and chats
for an hour longer. He is never out of
bed later than 10 o'clock.-Herald Of
HalNb
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Martha WashingtOn'S Fan.

The fan owned and used by Martha
Washington is curiosity of great inter
est and considerable value. As high as
81, ,OGO has been offered for it and refused
The fan is of ivory frame and of ordinary
size. When unfolded there is displayed
a series of pictures painted in oil. One is
q portrait of George Washington at the
age of seventeen, clad in the uniform of
a Captain. At that time he was a gallant
young officer fighting the Indians. This
is SO far as is known, the only por-
trait extant of Washington in his youth.
This makes the value of the fan almost
priceless. lowering above the young
hero is an angel crowning him with
wrcaths. Knccling near him is an In
dian in gorgeous array of flowers and
feathers and the robes of her tribe offer
ing Washington in homage national
standard in token of the acceptance of
peace. To the left of Washington stands
the figure of Liberty tramping the
crowned old world tyrants under foot.
The face of the fan bears the coat of arms
of the Washingtons. The colors of the
portraits arc still bright and distinct.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Feeding Captive Monkeys.

The monkeys in New York store for
the sale of wild animals are served with
four courses of food twice day. The.
first course, says the San, consists of
small frying pan full of diluted milk.
One monkey, with blue side whiskers,
buried his nose in the milk, and then
carefully wiped his muzzle on q board.
A rich-brown South American puma, in
cage above that of the monkeys, had
been served small frying pan full OF
cooked beef. The handle of the frying
pan projected from between the bars Of
the cage. The monkey saw an oppor.
tunity to secure an unaccustomed morsel,
and he climbed up the iron bars between
him and liberty and grabbed tue handle.
The puma growled snarling protest, and
put his big paw on the frying pan. The
monkey was not dismayed, however, but
kept on rolling the pan until the meat
had been shifted down near the handle
of the frying pan. Then he dropped the
handle, and, seizing piece of the beef,
began to devour it.
When the big, solemn, 125-pound
baboon had his share of milk and water,
and the thirst of thirty other monkeys
had been assuaged, the second course,
consisting of stale bread, was passed
around. The monkeys did not take so
kindly to the bread, and ate it only after
biting off the crust But the onions,
served raw, were heartily reHshed. So
fond, indeed, was the blue-whiskered
citizen from an African jungle of this Jer.
sey tid-bit that he ate his own share and
then pulled his mate out of corner by
the ear, soundly c,lired her ears, and ap-
propriated her portion of the fragrant
vegetable.
The fourth and last course consisted Of
dried corn, which was rained in upon
the monkeys like hail stones. The ami
mails showed their taste in disposing of
the corn. They seemed suffused with
sense of repletion, and they cracked the
torn kernels of corn with the leisure of
gentlemen picking their after-dinner nuts.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
A Remarkable Dog Story.

John Templeton is blacksmith who
owns q fine specimen of the English mas
tiff. Recently Mr.. Templeton was work
ing at his forge, putting new steel in a
pick. The new steel was slightly burned
in the heating, and, instead of welding,
flew in half q dozen pieces. One piece
struck the blacksmith inst above the right
eve with such force as to fasten itself in
firmly. The blacksmith staggered and
fell backward. How long he was uncon-
scious he does not know, but when he
revived the dog lay almost in the middle
of the shop crying almost like human
being, and rubbing his jaws in the dust
of the floor. The piece of steel that had
struck Mr.. Tcmpleton lay short dis
tance from the dog. The faithful brute
had seized the hot steel with his teeth
and drawn it from the frontal bone OF
Mr. Templeton's head. The dogs mouth
was found to be badly ncd.-Aldany
Journal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
He Could Sing.

Several years ago on one of our north
ern bays, when, as yet, steamers were i'll
frequent visitors, certain small boat
used to ply, touching at various points,
according as its freight or the weather
demanded.
The crew was somewhat limited, con-
sisting of the captain, the first mate,
whose name was Barnabas, and the cook,
John, who, when stress of work required,
also acted as second mate.
John was an excellent cook and fair
ly good sailor, but he was afflicted with
an impcdilnent in his speech which made
him somewhat backward in expressing
himself, and was especially annoying, if,
for any reason, he became excited. At
such times the more he wanted to say
something the less he was able to say it.
Fortunately, however, he could sing as
straight as any one.
One day the Captain was below taking
nap, while Barnabas and John were run
ming the boat. A sudden squall hap
pcned to come up, and puff of wind
brought the boom around with such un-
expected violence as to knock the unwary
Barnabas overheard. Thereupon John
rushed into the cabin in the widest ex-
citcment to inform the Captain of what
had occurred, but, as usual, he was una
bic to get out coherent sentence.
"B--b-b-b-' he suffered, until the
Captain, in rage, shouted:
"Thundcration man, sing it, if you
can't say it, and John, catching at the
happy suggestion, sang:
"Overboard is Barnabas,
Half mile astern of us"
The boat was Immediately put about
and the luckless Barnabas recovered
Detroit Free Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
Why Arctic Animals are White.

Wherever all the world around is re-
markably uniform in color and appear
ance, all the animals, birds, and insects
alike necessarily disguise themselves in
its prevailing tint to escape observation.
1t does not matter in the least whether
they are predatory or defenceless, the
hunters or the hunted if they are to es-
cape destruction or starvation, as the
case may be, they must assume the hue
of all the rest of nature about them. In
the arctic SHOWS, for example, all animals,
without exception, must needs be snow
white. The polar bear, if he were Drown
or black. would Immediately be observed
among the UNMARRIED ice-fclds by his ex-
pected prey, and could never get chance
of approaching his quarry unperceived at
close quarters. On the other hand, the
arctic hare must equally be dressed in a
snow-white coat, or the arctic fox would
too readily discover him and pounce
down upon him off-hand; while, con-
versely, the fox himself, if red or brown,
could never creep upon the unwary hare
without previous detection, which would
defeat his purpose. For this reason, the
ptarmigan and the willow grouse become
as white in winter as the vast snow fields
under which they burrow the ermine
changes his dusky summer coat for the
expensive wintry suit beloved of British
Themis; the snow-bunting acquires his
milk-white plumage; and even the weasel
assimilates himself more or less in hue to
the unvarying garb of arctic nature. To be
out of the fashion is there quite literally
to be out of the world; no half measures
will suit the stern decree of polar bigotry;
strict compliance with the law of winter
change is absolutely necessary to success
in the struggle for existence.
Now, how has this curious uniformity
of dress in arctic animals been brought
about2 Why, by that unyiclding prin-
ciple of Nature which condemns the less
adapted for ever to extinction, and exalts
the better adapted to the high places OF
her hierarchy in their stead. The
ptarmigan and the snow -buntings that
look most like the snow have for ages
been least likely to attract the unfavor-
able attention of arctic fox or prowling
ermine; the fox or ermine that came most
silently and most unpcrceived across the
shifting drifts has been most likely to
steal unawares upon the needless
focks of ptarmigan and snow-bunting.
In the one case protective coloring pre-
serves the animal from himself being de-
voured, in the other case it enables him
the more easily to devour others. And
since seat or be eaten" is the shrill
sentence of nature upon all animal life,
the final result is the unbroken whiteness
of the arctic fauna in all its developments
of fur and feather. -CornhM.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

The Chinese alphabet contains 10000
characters.
The word miscreant, two centuries
since. meant merely misbeliever IN the
Catholic Church.
Quito is the only city in the world on
the line of the equator. The sun rises
and sets at six o'clock there the year
round.
Twenty-Five men and eleven women
are having suits made preparatory to 60
ing through the niagara whirlpool this
summer.
Posts are said to have originated with
the regular couriers established by Cyrus,
who erected post-houses throughout the
Kingdom of Persia about $50 B. G.
Augustine introduced them among the
Romans 81 B. c.
The New York Journal Of Commerce
says that the elevated railroads of that
city fail to meet the requirements Of
travel, and that the time is not far distant
when some other means of transportation
must be adopted.
A DR.. Monro, who is quoted by DR..
Louis Jobert in his recent work on left
handedness, says that after making ex-
tensive studies of the physiological char
acteristics of criminals he has found
among them twenty-five per cent. OF left
handed persons.
At present there are forty days in Lent.
Since the establishment of the fast by the
Church it has been at various times forty,
fifty, sixty and seventy days. In the
sixth century thirty-six days completed
the fast. In the eighth century Pope
Gregory II. added four days, making it
again forty.
The ancient Britons did not get much
to cat until supper time, and the princi-
pal food was a thin cake of'bread with
chopped meat and broth. The houses were
not furnished with tablecloths and nap
kins, and the dishes were placed upon
the table all at once, upon rushes and
fresh grass in large platters or trenchers:
While the guests were eating the host and
hostess stood up, and took no food till all
the company were satisfied.
A word about the materials used in
perfumery. The animal Series comprises
musk, civet and ambergris. Musk is a
secretion of deer, civet is the secretion
of a cat, ambcrgris is the deceased por-
ton of whale. Musk varies IN price
from So to $12.5O, civet from SIS to $3.50,
ambergris from $2 40 to $3.50 an ounce.
The floral series includes the jasmine,
rose, orange, tubcrose, cassia, violet,
ionq quil and narcissus. The herbal series
includes all aromatic plants, such as
lavender, spike, peppermint, rosemary,
thyme, marjoram, geranium, patchouly
and wintergreen.